Illuminating means for enclosures



Jan. 21, 1964 W. J. JAMES ETAL ILLUMINATING MEANS FOR ENCLOSURES Filed July 10, 1961 United States Patent 3,118,615 ILLUMINATING MEANS FOR ENCLOSURES William J. James and Anne C. N. James, both of 2608 11th Ave. NW., Calgary, Alberta, Canada Filed July 10, 1961, Ser. No. 122,837 2 Claims. (Cl. 240--6.45)

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in illuminating means for enclosures, more particularly enclosures such as compacts, purses and the like.

Such items normally include a mirror to assist the user in applying makeup and with the present trend towards indirect lighting so often found both in homes and in public places, it is extremely difficult for the user to position herself so that suflicient illumination strikes the mirror.

Although the basic application of makeup is normally carried out in seclusion, it is well known that the compact or handbag mirror is often used in public locations in order to check the condition of makeup and such checking is undertaken unobtrusively.

By providing a source of illumination within the compact or handbag which is adapted to be switched on automatically as the lid is opened, these disadvantages are overcome thus permitting the user to check the condition of the makeup irrespective of the source of external lighting available.

The principal object and essence of our invention is therefore to provide a device of the character herewithin described which provides a source of illumination to the mirror of a compact or handbag.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described in which the source of illumination is automatically switched on when the lid of the compact is opened and switched oil when same is closed.

A yet further object of our invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which takes up a relatively small space in a compact or handbag due to the availability of relatively slim batteries and bulbs.

A yet further object of our invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which can be adapted for use with conventional compacts and handbags without extensive structural alterations being required.

Yet another object of our invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and otherwise well suited to the purpose for which it is designed.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device of the character herewithin described which is particularly suitable for illuminating, automatically, the interior of a purse or handbag so that the finding of the contents thereof is facilitated.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates as this specification proceeds, our invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a conventional compact shown with the lid in the open position and our invention incorporated therein.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged side elevation of our device per se showing the switch mechanism with the switch in the Off position.

FIGURE 3 is a figure similar to FIGURE 2 but showing the switch in the On position.

FIGURE 4 is an end view of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view showing our device incorporated in a conventional handbag or purse.

-In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

Proceeding therefore to describe our invention in detail, reference should first be made to FIGURE 1 in which illustrates a conventional compact container having a space 11 adapted to hold a lipstick and an enclosure 1'2 within which face powder may be stored in the conventional manner.

A closure element taking the form of a lid 13 is hingedly secured as at 14 to one edge 15 of the compact 10, said lid incorporating a mirror 16 in the usual manner.

Our device collectively designated 17 is situated within the compact 1t) adjacent the side 15 thereof and consists of supporting means 18 in the form of a substantially rectangular base plate which may be secured to the base 19 of the compact by rivets or the like (not illustrated).

A cylindrical casing 20 is secured to the base plate 18 by means of rivets 21, said cylindrical casing having an apertured end 22 and an apertured screw threadably detachable end 23.

The aperture within the end 23 is also screw threaded and adapted to receive an elongated source of illumination taking the form of a bulb 24 and it will be observed that the screw threaded end 25 of the bulb 24 extends through the end 23 to the interior of the casing so that the conventional contact post (not illustrated) of the bulb bears against the end 26 of a cylindrical source of electrical energy taking the form of a battery 27 supported within the cylindrical casing 20.

The opposite end 28 of the battery is provided with a conventional concentrically located conductor post 29 and this is adapted to extend through the aperture 22 within the opposite end of the cylindrical casing 20.

Switch means collectively designated 30 cooperate between the lid 13 of the compact and the casing, said switch means including a resilient strip 31 secured by one end 32 thereof to the base plate 18 by means of rivets 33. This resilient strip is normally biased towards the cylindrical casing 20 and includes a pair of contact points 34 and 35 secured thereto and being connected electrically one with the other due to the material used for the manufacture of the strip 3-1.

When in the normal position, that is with the biasing of the strip urging same towards the cylindrical casing 20, contact 34 contacts the post 29 of the battery 27 and contact 35 engages a further contact 36 secured to the end 37 of the cylindrical casing 20. The casing, being manufactured of electrically conductive material, therefor routes electricity from the post 29, through contact 34 and strip 31 to contacts 35 and 36 and hence through the casing to the screw threaded portion 25 of the bulb 24. The circuit is completed of course by the engagement of the central portion of the bulb (not illustrated) with the base of the battery thus illuminating the bulb when the resilient contact strip 31 is in the position shown in FIGURE 3.

This is the position normally when the lid 13 of the compact is in the open position shown in FIGURE 1. However it will be appreciated that it is desirable to break the circuit while the lid is closed and therefore a striker plate 38 is secured within the lid 13 by means of rivets 39 as clearly shown in FIGURE 1, said striker plate being adapted to engage the curved end 40 of the contact strip 31 thus urging same away from the cylindrical casing 20 and separating the contacts 34 and 35 from the post 29 and contact 36 respectively as clearly shown in FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 5 shows the device incorporated within a purse or handbag and operating on a similar principle. Consequently similar reference characters have been used to illustrate corresponding parts.

Finally a semi-cylindrical reflector 41 is secured to the base plate 18 by means of rivets 42 partially surrounding the bulb 24 as clearly shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 to assist in directing the light from the bulb towards the mirror 16 and to prevent the glare from the bulb striking the eyes of the user directly.

Since various modifications can be made in our invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. A self-contained illuminating device for use in compacts, handbags, and the like, said device comprising in combination a fiat elongated mounting plate having first and second ends, a substantially tubular casing having first and second ends, said casing being secured to a surface of the first end portion of said mounting plate with the first end of the casing spaced longitudinally inwardly from the first end of the plate, an elongated lamp mounted in the second end of said casing and extending longitudinally above the second end portion of the mounting plate whereby said second end portion of the plate constitutes a protective guard for said lamp, a battery positioned in said casing and having one pole thereof in circuit with said lamp, said battery also having a second pole projecting outwardly through an opening in the first end of said casing, a stationary contact provided on the first end of the casing in substantially coplanar relation with said second battery pole, said stationary contact being in circuit with said lamp through said casing, a switch member comprising a resilient strip secured at one end thereof to said mounting plate at a point adjacent said first end of the casing, and a pair of spaced contacts provided on the intermediate portion of said strip, said strip being resiliently flexible toward and away from the first end of the casing and being resiliently biased toward the casing to a circuit closing position wherein one of said spaced contacts engages said second battery pole and the other of said spaced contacts engages said stationary contact said strip having a curved free end portion engageable by an operator whereby the strip may be flexed away from the casing to a circuit opening position.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with an elongated and transversely curved reflector secured to said second end portion of said mounting plate in adjacent parallel relation to said lamp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,464,552 Warner Aug. 14-, 1923 1,889,143 Hirsch Nov. 29, 1932 2,413,484 Berger Dec. 31, 1946 2,481,394 Cannava Sept. 6, 1949 2,327,559 Hoffman Mar. 18, 1958 

1. A SELF-CONTAINED ILLUMINATING DEVICE FOR USE IN COMPACTS, HANDBAGS, AND THE LIKE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A FLAT ELONGATED MOUNTING PLATE HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS, A SUBSTANTIALLY TUBULAR CASING HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS, SAID CASING BEING SECURED TO A SURFACE OF THE FIRST END PORTION OF SAID MOUNTING PLATE WITH THE FIRST END OF THE CASING SPACED LONGITUDINALLY INWARDLY FROM THE FIRST END OF THE PLATE, AN ELONGATED LAMP MOUNTED IN THE SECOND END OF SAID CASING AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ABOVE THE SECOND END PORTION OF THE MOUNTING PLATE WHEREBY SAID SECOND END PORTION OF THE PLATE CONSTITUTES A PROTECTIVE GUARD FOR SAID LAMP, A BATTERY POSITIONED IN SAID CASING AND HAVING ONE POLE THEREOF IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID LAMP, SAID BATTERY ALSO HAVING A SECOND POLE PROJECTING OUTWARDLY THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE FIRST END OF SAID CASING, A STATIONARY CONTACT PROVIDED ON THE FIRST END OF THE CAUSING IN SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR RELATION WITH SAID SECOND BATTERY POLE, SAID STATIONARY CONTACT BEING IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID LAMP THROUGH SAID CASING, A SWITCH MEMBER COMPRISING A RESILIENT STRIP SECURED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE AT A POINT ADJACENT SAID FIRST END OF THE CASING, AND A PAIR OF SPACED CONTACTS PROVIDED ON THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID STRIP, SAID STRIP BEING RESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM THE FIRST END OF THE CASING AND BEING RESILIENTLY BIASED TOWARD THE CASING TO A CIRCUIT CLOSING POSITION WHEREIN ONE OF SAID SPACED CONTACTS ENGAGES SAID SECOND BATTERY POLE AND THE OTHER OF SAID SPACED CONTACTS ENGAGES SAID STATIONARY CONTACT, SAID STRIP HAVING A CURVED FREE END PORTION ENGAGEABLE BY AN OPERATOR WHEREBY THE STRIP MAY BE FLEXED AWAY FROM THE CASING TO A CIRCUIT OPENING POSITION. 